Meant To Be
by cloudie day
Summary: We all know the story of Edward and Bella, the star-crossed lovers of the modern day. But what would have happened if Edward had given into his instincts? Where they always meant to be? E/B Twilight/Midnight Sun
1. Chapter One

**Ok so this is my first serious fic. I am super excited and really dreading having it posted. Please let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer wrote it and owns it all.**

**Summary: This story starts during Twilight/Midnight Sun. T****oo engrossed in her husbands' near future, Alice does not see Edward attack Bella Swan until it is too late. ****After waking as a vampire, how does Bella react when she finds out Edward is the reason she can no longer see her family? Rated for future events.**

**My summary needs some working on I know! :) I hope you enjoy! **

**A/N: I edited it a little bit, there were some punctuation errors that I forgot to remove! :)**

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"Alice I do not understand how you could _not_ have seen this before it happened," I said watching my sister from my place next to the young woman whose life I had stolen.

"I'm sorry Edward," her eyes drifted to her husband, "I was so wrapped up in Jasper's future that I was barely paying attention to anyone else."

Jasper wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. His thoughts indicated that he was annoyed that she had been watching him so carefully but his love for her outweighed his annoyance.

"Did you not think to remove yourself from the situation?" Esme asked calmly.

I shook my head, "The thought had not even crossed my mind."

"And what about_ her_ mind son? "Carlisle asked.

I blanked; I had not told them that I was unable to read her thoughts.

"Can't you read her thoughts Edward?" Jasper asked sensing my hesitation. I shook my head.

"But I thought-," Emmett started.

"No Emmett, earlier in the cafeteria I heard nothing. Right before I," I paused as my guilt and self loathing starting to resurface, Jasper sent a wave of calm my direction and I nodded towards him, then continued, "I heard nothing. She was a mental mute." They all looked at me with questioning eyes that matched their thoughts. This had never happened to me before.

"Why didn't you just hold your breath?" Alice asked.

"Her blood was like nothing I'd ever smelled before," I said listening to each of their thoughts for a reaction. Carlisle planned to talk to his friends in Italy to see if they knew of anything like this before; he was worried because she had not made a sound or moved since we arrived. Esme was saddened by the loss Chief Swan was suffering.

A memory surfaced in Emmett's mind that caught my attention. He was recalling a time when he had smelled a scent so sweet he could not resist. It was as if the blood called to only him.

"Yes, Emmett, it was exactly like that; with the exception that you did not kill twenty-three innocent children and a teacher to get to her," I replied to his memory.

They all looked from me to Emmett, puzzled looks on both Alice and Jasper's faces as they had not been with us then. _Was it that bad? _He thought.

"Worse" I replied, "I did get a chance to clear my mind momentarily."

"What happened to change that, son?" Carlisle asked from his spot next to Esme. Venom pooled in my mouth causing my throat to flame as I recalled the memory of her scent.

_I watched her walk towards me stumbling a bit along the way, the monster inside rejoicing that the only chair available was the one next to me. Her expressive brown eyes watched me cautiously, regarding the look of hatred that was surly plastered on my face. I did hate her, immensely. She was my own personal demon, sent as punishment for my wayward years. I watched as she pulled out her chair, set her backpack down- and sat down regarding me once again. I tried once more to listen for her thoughts, hoping that it would bring me out of my bloodlust induced stupor, but I heard nothing. She shook her hair out and used it to block herself from my view. The action only sent a more concentrated wave of her scent towards me and that was all it took. _

The hunger and desire I felt was so potent that I saw Jasper wince.

"We should have gone hunting sooner," Carlisle said, "There was truly no valid reason to have kept us from doing so". I nodded and Esme walked towards me wrapping her arms around me.

"I am truly sorry Edward," Alice spoke her brow furrowed. "At least the vision did finally come- strong enough to break through my scrutiny on Jasper's future."

_At least we got to both of you in time,_ she added internally as an afterthought.

"But not everyone else Alice," I added to her thought out loud. This should not have happened; I should have been strong enough to stop it.

I still felt the effects of Jasper's gift adding to my own thirst and I swallowed the venom as I, recalled her scent and the taste of her blood again. The monster that I was was getting the better of me, and I could think of nothing else. I needed to stop this before it took over completely.

I watched Jasper pull Alice close and she nodded, both his thoughts and her vision preceding what he was about to say.

"I'm going to hunt," he stated out loud looking to Emmett and Rose who nodded. _Please do something other than sit there loathing yourself Edward_, he added internally, _I don't know how much more of this I can take_.

"I'm sorry Jasper," I replied, turning to stare at the young woman, barely noticing them jumping out of the window. I listened as their minds retreated into the forest and thought about what I was going to do. Would it be best if she woke up without me here? Of course, I could leave- I didn't have to be here.

Then I thought of something else: What if she did not remember that it was I who had done this to her? How would I handle that? Would we tell her? Would she really want to know who ended her life? Either way, I would have to deal with it in the long run. Carlisle and Esme would extend an offer to be part of our family.

I could stay away long enough to find out whether she remembered or not, but where was I going to go until it was ok to come back? Alaska? I didn't really care to deal with Tanya's advances, but I would be a welcome guest in the home of our extended family.

"Don't you dare even think about leaving Edward," Alice half yelled at me as she exited the room. Esme who was following her turned to me – eyes wide.

_No Edward, Please don't,_ her internal voice sadden by my decision. I glared at Alice as she left. I knew the reason she blurted it out: Esme. Esme would never let me leave.

I sighed, defeated by a four foot ten hellion disguised as my sister. "I will stay Esme, do not worry." Her face softened and she smiled as she exited. I looked back to the young woman. Her clothes would need to be changed soon. Even now with the blood congealed, the scent was still strong and it permitted the room. I would ask Alice and Esme to help since they were better equipped to do so.

_Esme and I are already on our way back Edward. _I guess I should have known that she would have seen that I was going to ask, or perhaps she thought about it earlier. I had not paid attention to anything but the conversation that happened only two minutes ago. I watched as they reentered the room with the supplies needed to clean the mess I had made. I got up and waited patiently behind the door as they took care of her.

Once they were finished, I resumed my vigil over the young woman. "I promise I will stay here until you open your eyes. I am no coward; I will face the consequences for doing this horrific thing to you." Could she even hear me? Was she even conscious? I listened to my sister's thoughts. Alice couldn't tell at the moment. Her vision was blurry but she did see her.

I still thought it was odd that she was so quiet. Carlisle had managed to stay quiet during his change, but he understood what he was becoming and knew it was imperative that he remain hidden. What was it that kept this girl so quiet?

After some time, Carlisle came in to sit with me. His inner monologue was filled with all that happened and working a patient's case at the same time. I knew he was here to keep me company and also give himself a break from his medical books.

"It could be Lyme disease," I said, answering a thought that had crossed his mind.

_She did say her husband was an avid hunter; he may have brought more than a deer home. _

I nodded. He sat with me a while longer as he pieced together how Lyme disease was possible. When he was sure that it was, he stood and left. "Thank you son," he said as he returned to his study.

Time. All we had was time and I spent my time sitting here thinking about what I had done. Almost every member of my family had taken some time to sit with me; except Jasper and Rosalie. How much time had passed? How long had I been sitting here watching her? I could only think of how I ended her life. Minutes and seconds did not matter to me at this point. She was still so quiet and she was so beautiful. How could I have ever thought that she was just an ordinary looking girl?

Her already pale skin was starting to harden; that I could see. Her chocolate brown waves now brushed by Alice or Esme- who ever shooed me out of the room at the time. A pale blue satin gown replaced her bloodstained clothes. We were all worried about this girl- with the exception of Alice who said she was getting clearer, easier to see.

The young woman still had not moved or made a sound since I had bitten her. She just laid there with an almost serene look on her face. I couldn't read her mind while at school and it was much the same now. I wondered why that was.

Carlisle walked in, his thoughts preceding him_. Don't be so hard on yourself son,_ forgiveness dripping from his internal voice. The whole family had forgiven me for what I had done. I am not sure why. I know all of us had slipped once or twice, well all of us except Carlisle and perhaps Rosalie. It bothered me.

"How can you forgive me for this Carlisle?" I motioned towards the young woman, "For this atrocity that I have committed? I intentionally killed innocents." For one. One whose blood smelled- and tasted- so much sweeter than anything I had ever smelled in my existence. My mouth filled with venom as I once again recalled the memory. I pushed the monster to the back of my mind. He was not in control- I was.

"Edward, son, you did what was only natural. I cannot simply disown you for that. Yes I was disappointed, but what's done is done and I have forgiven you whether you think you deserve it or not." He placed a hand on my shoulder. "You have only not accepted that we have forgiven you because you refuse to forgive yourself_." Which is hard for you because of how you feel over what you did, and we understand that_, he added.

"Rosalie will never forgive me," I stated, knowing she hated the idea of having to move and start over.

"Rosalie is mad yes, but even she has forgiven you. We know she does not want to start over at a new school, and I cannot blame her. I would hate to move so soon especially with the end of the school year so near."

"What are we to do then?" I looked to the man who was my father in every sense of the word; except the one that did not matter.

"Rosalie came up with a plan to cover this up until then," he pulled up a chair and sat next to me and continued, "After the incident both Emmett and Rosalie brought you two home while Jasper and Alice ignited the biology lab."

"They just blew it up? Will everyone buy that?" I wondered aloud watching as he nodded.

_Alice saw that it had the best possible outcome; no survivors,_ he sighed, "They are not able to identify half of the bodies, and are going based on a roster alone of who was in that class."

"Why didn't anyone tell me about this?" I asked staring into his golden brown eyes. I knew mine were still a bright scarlet; I didn't have to look into a mirror to know that and I didn't need more of a reminder of what I had done.

"We felt it best not to add to what you were feeling at the moment." _Jasper can barely stand to be in the house for long periods of time._

I placed my head in my hands, "How could I Carlisle? So many innocent children and her," I looked towards her. Those expressive brown eyes had been forever shut- by me.

_Perhaps she was meant to be with us always_, he thought. I thought about what he said.

I knew her blank mind intrigued me, and I wanted to know more about her. Flush out her secrets so that her inner voice would come through. I wanted to do that because I knew her thoughts would be the same as the others and not worth the time I would waste to get to them. Would the outcome still have been the same if I had not bitten her? I hoped not, but now that I had I could not take it back.

He sat with me a while longer until Esme came. She looked odd, perhaps it was the black dress she was wearing. Esme always wore light colors. I didn't move as she wrapped her arms around me giving me a gentle squeeze. _It will be ok Edward. _

"How do you know that for sure Esme?"

She smiled, "Alice of course. Nothing can bring her down when the future looks bright." I scoffed at that. Esme frowned, "I just came to tell you that the school is holding a memorial tonight and we will be leaving shortly." How long had I been sitting here watching over her?

"How long have I been here Esme?" I asked looking at her.

_Almost three days Edward._

My eyes widened and I turned back to the young woman.

"But don't worry, Alice says she won't wake up while you're alone. She sees that all of us are there when she does," she continued. Did Alice know how this girl would react? If she would remember or not? I thought about asking her.

_I can't see anything Edward. I can only see when she will wake up. It's as if that is the only thing set in stone. I think it has to do with the fact that she is a newborn. Jasper told me they are very unpredictable, only wanting to feed, and their emotions are all over the place. I remember being that way, but I knew there was something else out there for me. _Through her eyes we both looked at the crescent shape scars that blanketed her husbands skin.

_We are leaving for the memorial now, Son. Please let us know if anything changes,_ Carlisle thought from the first floor. "Esme, Darling, we are ready to leave," he spoke aloud. My mother gave me one last hug then left.

Before they were out of my hearing range, Alice gave me a look into the memorial. It was being held in the gym. How appropriate I thought sarcastically. There was a large board that held pictures and letters to all who were 'lost' in the fire. In the vision I saw Chief Swan sitting at the very front surrounded by eight figures, six with darker skin, Quileute's. I watched as my family kept up the pretense that I had also been among those who had died that day. As they drove further away, Alice's vision faded and I could no longer see anything but the girl lying in front of me.

"I am so sorry Isabella; I wish I could take it all back." I lifted my hand to smooth back her hair but thought better of it. I wanted to touch her, hold her, and make it all better. This was an odd feeling for me. It was just as odd as when I wanted to protect her from Jessica's trivial thoughts.

Only now she is going to be more durable, I thought sadly.

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**Thank you for reading!**

**Please let me know what you think.**


	2. Chapter Two

**Sorry it took me so long to update. My Word trial expired then life came at me super hard. Life is still coming at me super hard but I have Word now. There was some hesitation/procrastination regarding beta's... well there still is, but here it is Chapter two for your enjoyment.**

**I own nothing except the plot, this disclaimer and the right to free speech!**

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In 5… 4… 3… 2… 1," Alice whispered from behind Jasper.

Isabella's eyes flickered open and she blinked a few times. We all held our breath, not wanting to startle her and watched as she stayed motionless for several minutes, not breathing herself.

Suddenly she shot up, her eyes looking at a million things at once, yet seemingly missing us completely. The sunlight reflecting off her arm caught her attention and she stared at that one spot a few seconds before sticking her entire hand in the sunlight. She moved her fingers around, examining the effect the sun was having on her skin.

_She's intrigued yet confused,_ Jasper thought. _It's as if she knows she shouldn't shine like that, that it's not a natural thing that she should be doing, but she finds it fascinating._

It was times like this that Jasper and I were much alike. His gauging emotion was almost the same as my mind reading. It was a very useful gift to have when not being able to read ones thoughts.

She brought her hand to her face, wiggling her fingers and rotating her hand as her skin sparkled. Looking past her fingers, she noticed us.

_Now she's curious._

It seemed I had been tuning out everyone else while I listened to Jasper measure her emotions and interpret them. I began to pay attention.

_I'm so excited! I'm sure we are going to be the best of friends._

_Someone new to arm-wrestle with, cannot wait to test her strength._

_She's pretty; nothing compared to me_. I shot Rosalie a glare and she rolled her eyes. I_t's the truth don't try and deny it, Edward, _she shot back at me, flipping her hair.

I didn't have to be an empath to know that Esme was practically emitting hope. Her thoughts were consumed with this new edition to our family. Then a thought crossed her mind- she hoped that this girl would be my match and for once I agreed with her.

After spending three days beside her, I felt compelled to be by her side always. That was only if she would have me of course. Jasper looked at me curiously, obviously having felt something other than my underlying guilt and self loathing.

I listened for Carlisle's thoughts, which were much the same as they were when Rosalie joined us. He hoped she would stay and be part of our family, but if she decided not to he would wish her luck on her endeavors.

With a jerky nod from Alice he stepped forward cautiously. "Isabella?"

"Bella," she corrected automatically, her features changed suddenly, indicating she had not originally remembered her name.

S_he is confused and happy. I wonder if she forgot her name,_ Jaspers internal voice reflected what I just surmised. His thoughts had an edge to them, as if he was waiting for something.

"Hello, Bella, I am Dr. Carlisle Cullen." Recognition marked her face slightly. "How do you feel?"

"Fine, I think," she said and her face became blank, as if she was listening for something.

"Is there something wrong?" he questioned.

She inhaled to speak again and I saw Jasper wince slightly: _confusion, excitement, and thirst._

"No, it's just my voice. Have I always sounded like this? Tinkling bells?"

"Do you remember anything from before you woke up just now?"

Her brow furrowed and her mouth pulled down at the corners as she tried to remember. After a few seconds she shook her head.

"I only remember my name, Dr. Cullen. There are fuzzy images, but I am unable to make them out. I watched her close her vivid red eyes as she spoke.

"Bella, you may call me, Carlisle." He smiled softly. "Do you have any other questions?"

Her head jerked forward quickly as she nodded, "Why does my voice sound the way it does? Why does my skin sparkle when I know it shouldn't? Why can I see everything, smell everything, and hear everything?"

I smiled slightly; her words came out so quickly they sounded strung together. She would need some time to get use to the speed. I watched Carlisle as he thought of the best answer that, he hoped, would not scare her and I listened to Alice's thoughts as she searched the future.

Her visions were blank; she was having trouble seeing any outcomes in regards to this young woman and it was driving her crazy. Jasper and I looked at each other- he could feel the distress rolling off her.

"Go ahead Carlisle, it will be fine," Alice chimed softly, now staring around Jasper. Bella's eyes quickly followed the sound of her voice and her eyes switched back and forth between her and Jasper.

_Startled and confused and I feel a slight fear, but I can only guess that she has seen the scars. _He turned his head slightly so that he was now facing my direction. T_his girl is a multitude of emotions changing quickly from one to another. So far she is reacting normally for a newborn yet different somehow. She is processing everything whilst trying to ignore her thirst, but it's growing and she won't be able to hold it at bay very long._ I nodded slightly acknowledging what he said as Carlisle continued.

"You are a vampire, Bella."

We all watched cautiously, waiting for her reaction. It was only a sixteenth of a second later when her eyes grew wide and she backed herself further into the bed that she had been laying on.

"I'm not going to want to suck your blood am I?" she said, her hand immediately flying to her throat. We all smiled at her with the exception of Rosalie. I shot her another glare and she rolled her eyes.

_Fine. I may not have forgiven you 'completely' but I will act civilly towards our new family member. After all, it's not her fault._

Carlisle chuckled. "No, Bella, you will have no desire for our blood for we have none. You see we are vampires as well." Her body relaxed slightly but her hand did not move from her throat.

"Do you understand?" She nodded.

_God, I hate being blin,_ I listened into Alice's thoughts. She was unable to see how Bella would react when Carlisle introduced us. I knew she was watching so that she could see the young woman's reaction towards us. Alice checked all possibilities and vision after vision. Once we were introduced, everything went black. It could only go one of two ways; either she would remember or she wouldn't. Chances were Alice would see the outcome the minute it happened, if not a second before.

As if on cue, Carlisle spoke again.

"Bella, let me introduce you to my family. This is my wife, Esme." He motioned to his left and then down the line introducing us in what he thought was the least confusing way. "Our son, Emmett and his wife, Rosalie, our daughter, Alice and her husband, Jasper and our son, Edward." Her eyes followed slowly as he introduced us.

I wished I could read her mind to know what she thought of us, but as her eyes landed on me it was something I no longer wished for. Her eyes were full of acceptance as she saw each of us but when she saw me her eyes widened with horror as she backed herself into a corner so fast none of us had time to react; not even Jasper.

Then the vision came; she remembered. My eyes widened.

"You!" she whispered pointing at me, her other hand grabbing her neck where I had bitten her. I looked down shamefully.

"What happened? Oh, God, Charlie!" she wrapped her arms around herself and slid to the floor as she started crying. Esme stepped forward instinctively but was held back by both Carlisle and Jasper. She looked to Alice for confirmation that everything would be alright.

_Thank, God I can see again. _Alice nodded and Esme walked over to Bella slowly.

She wrapped her arms around her in attempt to soothe her, whispering to her that it would all be alright. We watched as her breathing became even more ragged. As she gasped for air she didn't need, I saw Jasper wince from the corner of my eye.

"She should hunt soon ,Carlisle, her thirst is becoming unbearable," he said as Alice walked forward to stand beside him. Carlisle nodded and walked forward slowly.

"Bella?" she looked up at him, venom tears she would never shed shining in her bright, red eyes. "Bella, you will need to hunt soon. I am sure you are very thirsty."

Her hand immediately went back to her throat and Jasper sent a wave of calm her way.

She looked around the room for the source of the artificial calm she knew she had not placed on herself.

"My throat burns," she replied, her eyes meeting Carlisle's gaze.

"Yes, I know." He looked at each of us, contemplating who would be best to send with her.

Alice nodded her head and motioned towards Emmett. He nodded and stepped forward towards the window. Bella looked at them both slightly, confused and in awe.

I saw Jasper smirk. S_he is surprised by his size, it's a bit intimidating to her,_ _wait until she finds out he's nothing more than a huge teddy bear who likes to joke._

I wanted to smile but my guilt and self loathing over what I had done to her had resurfaced, so I only managed a partial smile.

"Bella, Emmett and I will take you hunting, it will help ease the burn," Alice said, helping her up.

Jasper sent a happy calm towards me, which made my partial smile look less like a scow. _Come on Edward, it is over and done with, don't dwell on the past now. You like her, don't you? Instead look to the future. It will all work out._

I nodded. He was right; if I continuously dwelled on what I had done to her, I would never be worthy of her forgiveness and if I was not worthy of her forgiveness then I would not be worthy of her love. And that was definitely something I was starting to want. I wanted to love her and be loved in return. I was suddenly pulled from my thoughts by her melodic voice.

"You want me to what?"

"Trust me, Bella, you will be fine. Emmett will catch you if feel like something is going to go wrong. Alice's face blanked and I saw thru her thoughts the vision of Bella making a solid landing. Alice smiled and winked at me. "Which nothing bad will happen so go ahead."

Bella was facing away from me but I saw the skeptical look on her face through Alice's eyes and I smiled. I motioned for Jasper to help out and he nodded.

_It's nice to see you smile a genuine smile, Edward. _I turned to look towards Esme, who was also smiling. I broadened my smile a little more for her and nodded. I turned back in time to see Alice lithely jump out of the window and watched through her eyes as she landed next to Bella.

"Heels, Alice? The memories are still fuzzy, but I am sure I am a T-Shirt and jeans type of girl." We all smiled at one another. Alice was in for some trouble with this one. Visions passed through her mind of her attempting to dress Bella, then going black.

Alice sighed. "Fine, Bella but they at least have to be designers."

I saw Bella's face scrunch up at the word 'designers'. Finally she sighed, apparently giving into Alice; which made me smile once again. This was beginning to be a habit.

"And some normal shoes, Alice. No heels."

_Catch, Edward,_ Alice's thoughts rang in my head and I stepped towards the window and caught each shoe and set them down next to the window.

Their voices retreated into the forest as we, one by one, left the room where the human girl, Bella, had died. "There is a herd of elk this way, Emmett"

"The bears are this way."

"Let's not overwhelm her."

"I think I will go with Alice's decision; no bears." She would learn soon enough that a bear was not a danger to her, but the opposite. I smiled as I walked through the door.

Jasper and I moved to the living room where he sat on the couch, flipping through the channels until he came across a civil war documentary. While I listened to his thoughts about the inaccuracy of some of the things they were saying, I started playing the piano. Whatever song I was composing was not a happy one.

I listened to the thoughts of my family to pin point where they were in the house. Rosalie had retreated to the garage to work on her newest remodel; a 1957 Corvette. Esme was in her drawing room already starting a plan on how to decorate the room for our newest member, not making any permanent decisions until she spoke with her and found out if she was going to stay. Carlisle retreated to his study, thinking more about his patients and questions he would ask Bella about her change.

Jasper turned to look at me, a confused look on his face. O_ddly that composition does not match your current mood, Edward._ I shrugged my shoulders.

_That piece sounds very melancholy, son. _

"Sorry," I mumbled quietly, and started to play a piece I composed for Esme.

_Thank you, Edward,_ came her thoughtful reply from upstairs.

As time went by I played a few of the songs I had composed for my family members. Jasper's was a soft melody that rose and fell smoothly that always made him feel calm and at peace. As a result when I played it, everyone in the house would be calm as a result of Jaspers' mood. Carlisle's piece was deep and resonant, and yet had a timeless undertone.

The calm that was still around us ended in the middle of Carlisle's song when the phone rang and a distressed voice came through.

"Carlisle!" There was a sudden pause, and then Alice's panicked voice sounded again, "We need you and Jasper now!"

Jasper was up and out of the door, running at top speed; Carlisle close behind. I stood on the back porch looking out through the forest until they were no longer within view. I turned to see that I was now joined by Esme and Rosalie. I did not even notice they had arrived, my thoughts were only on Bella and what could have possibly caused such a panic in Alice. The three of us simply stood there as still as statues, not knowing what was happening.

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**Well let me know what you think. **

**I am going to go out on a limb here and be a honest: I probably wont update super quick even though the chapter is already written (aforementioned beta issues). I am procrastinating very much on this because I am hesitant (like I mentioned earlier). Ok enough with this stinking authors note it'ts not like you didn't read about it at the top.**


	3. Chapter Three

**WOOHOO Guess who updated? (FINALLY!)**

**Seriously, sorry it took me so long. You know me and my procrastination... hesitation... any other word with -tion at the end. :P**

**MUCHOS thanks to hammondgirl who beta'd this chapter with vampire speed. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except a newly repaird PS3, an Xbox 360, Burnout Paradise (where I speed and crash cars for fun) and this empty bowl that once held ice cream.**

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All I could do was stare at this short, black-haired girl that stood in front of me as she told me to follow the big guy out of the window.

"You want me to what?"

"Trust me, Bella, you will be fine. Emmett will catch you if feel like something is going to go wrong." Her face went oddly blank then she smiled and winked to someone behind me.

"Which nothing bad will happen so go ahead."

I wanted to turn and look, but she was probably winking at her husband and I did not want to see if Edward was behind me.

I looked down and noticed Emmett leaning against a tree just outside the window, waiting for me to jump. He looked excitedly patient smiling the way he was, his dimples quite noticeable, which softened his rough and tumble exterior.

I stepped towards the ledge and looked down cautiously. It was a long drop from what looked to be the third floor. Out of nowhere, I felt a sudden surge of courage, took a deep breath, and jumped.

The feeling of falling was not as scary as I had imagined. In fact it felt amazing, and in no time I had landed lightly on the balls of my feet. Emmett winked at me as Alice landed lightly at my side.

I took a step forward on the slightly rocky terrain and immediately felt that something was off. I looked down at my feet. How had I not noticed these before?

"Heels, Alice? The memories are still fuzzy, but I'm sure I'm a T-Shirt and jeans type of girl."

I saw Emmett stifle a laugh with his hand. Alice glared at him then back at me. She looked momentarily determined but her face went blank again and she sighed.

"Fine, Bella but they at least have to be designers."

Designers; this girl had it in for me. I am sure any normal name brand you could find at a local retailer would have been fine. Why designers? I sighed, it was probably better to just give up while I was ahead. I would let her dress me in whatever she wanted to as long as it was t-shirts, jeans and any footwear that did not have a heel.

"And some normal shoes, Alice. No heels."

Alice rolled her eyes at me but held her hands out as I took off the strappy contraptions. One by one, she tossed the heels towards the window. I stared at her, eyes wide. What if she hit someone with them?

I was about to say something when I noticed a hand reach out and catch each shoe.

How did they know? Alice tapped me on the shoulder, bringing me out of my momentary stupor, and we started forward into the forest.

We had only been walking for what felt like a short time when we stopped. I turned to Alice so I could ask where we were going and watched her face go blank again. Did this happen a lot? Why would Carlisle choose her if she was a space case.

Then I remembered. She volunteered both herself and Emmett. Carlisle merely agreed.

"There is a herd of elk this way, Emmett."

"The bears are this way." I saw him point the opposite direction and I looked around us. How the heck did we get so far into the forest? We had been walking, not running.

"Let's not overwhelm her."

Yes, let's not overwhelm me, or scare me for that matter. Why go towards the bears? I'd say lets move further away.

"I think I will go with Alice's decision. No bears."

I have seen those Discovery channel shows, and it never ended well for the person in those situations.

Alice smiled.

I looked to Emmett who frowned and muttered, "Little people."

I took that has him giving in to Alice's decision.

"But next time, we are going for the bears."

Alice grabbed my hand, squeezing it gently, then pulled me forward.

"This way, Bella."

I stopped.

"How are we going to get there, Alice?"

Just because I had made that jump through the window, didn't mean that I wouldn't fall while walking in the woods. I was surprised I hadn't fallen yet. Sure, the memories were fuzzy, but I knew I was not completely coordinated.

"We are running, of course." Her golden eyes seemed to shine.

"We are going to what!"

Emmett did not stifle his laugh this time.

"It will be fine, Bella. You'll see this is what we were made for." He took off running, faster than anything I had ever seen, and yet so graceful for someone so large. Alice motioned for me to follow him. I took off running and caught up with him in no time, surpassing him. I stopped, allowing them to catch up. This was an amazing feeling and I wasn't even getting winded.

Once they caught up, I took off again, but heared Alice in the background calling for me to stop and wait for them. She didn't have to wait long for me to stop, as I almost ran into a river. I stood balancing on the edge when I felt someone pull me back. I turned to see Emmett holding on to me.

"Oh thank you, Emmett! If I fell in I would have drowned for sure."

I watched as he nearly doubled over with laughter. What did I say?

Alice walked around him shaking her head. "Bella, you cannot drown."

"I can't? But how is that possible?"

What else was I capable of?

Alice smiled. "We can hold our breath for an infinite amount of time. It's uncomfortable, but we can do it."

I guess that meant we would be swimming across this river. I don't think I was good at sports, but swimming I can't possibly mess up, especially if you don't really need to breathe.

"So we are swimming across this river?"

My question made Emmett smile, widely. "Heck no! We are going to jump this thing!"

Jump! Alice giggled, I was sure at the shock that must have been plastered on my face. I needed to start compiling a list of what we were capable of. So far it was stacking up. Alice smiled a coy smile, like she knew something I didn't, then took a few steps back.

What was she…? Before I even finished my thought, she took a running leap across the river, somersaulting before landing softly on the other side.

I stared at her, my mouth agape. Emmett laughed again and my mouth snapped shut then I started growling at him. Holy crow was I growling?

Emmett put his hands up in surrender while smiling. "Sorry, Bella."

"Let's see you do that, macho!" I goaded and pointed to where Alice now stood. A mischievous grin spread across his face. He seemed up to the challenge, but I still wondered how the big guy was going to make it across. As if answering my question, he took one step back and then launched himself across the river.

I stood staring, my mouth wide open once again, my eyes blinking several times. He took one look at me and burst into a new fit of laughter and I growled again. I saw Alice's tiny fist hit him as I started backing up. I watched as he rubbed the spot she hit him and I smiled. I was intent on taking him down for laughing at me, and if Alice could hit him hard enough, surely I would be able to.

I took off running, and as I hit the edge of the river bank, I jumped. If I thought jumping from a window was amazing, then this was absolutely exhilarating. I immediately looked down, expecting to see the river and the ground where I planned to land on Emmett and saw nothing but trees.

As I fell through the trees, I grabbed onto a large limb, bringing it and the whole tree down with me. Normally, I wasn't one for foul language, but at the moment a string of profanities filled my head and escaped my lips. Would someone hear this tree fall? I was sure they would. Especially this family of vampires, and I didn't want to bring any unnecessary attention to myself.

Before both the tree and I hit the ground, I jumped off and stood beneath it and begin holding it up. Holy crow, I was strong, too! I walked forward towards the end of the tree and slowly laid it down. When I looked up, both Alice and Emmett were watching me with smiles on their faces.

"You, me, and the dining room table! We need to arm wrestle!"

I smiled shyly at him.

"No, not that table. Esme is very fond of it," Alice chimed from his side.

Emmett thought for a moment then snapped his finger. "There is a boulder right outside next to Esme's garden. It's flat enough."

"You're on!" I smiled and Alice held her hand up to quiet us.

"They are over here," she whispered and motioned for us to follow her; her finger came up to her mouth signaling us to stay quiet. We crept up to them quickly and were soon standing amongst the bushes. In the softest and quietest of voices I had ever heard, Alice asked. "Can you smell them?"

I knew there was a scent in the air. It didn't smell appetizing, but I didn't know what it was until now. I made a face and they both smiled at me.

"I know it doesn't smell all that great, but the blood of animals can sustain us. It is what keeps our eyes this color and allows us to blend in with humans."

I looked to Emmett. He looked like he was getting ready to pounce. Was I supposed to eat those things?

Before I could ask Alice nodded her head. "Watch Emmett, Bella, then follow his lead."

I eyed his movement carefully. One second he was next to me; the next he had taken down one of the creatures and had sunk his teeth into its neck. When he was finished, he moved ever so quietly amongst the others and took down a second one without scattering them. As soon as the scent of fresh blood was in the air, I automatically took one step forward and positioned myself the way he had.

I was about to pounce on the one nearest me when Alice grabbed my arm. She looked immediately saddened. I flashed a curious look her way.

"Never mind. I really liked that dress. I guess I will have to buy another one. Go ahead."

I took my stance once more and jumped on the elk's back, startling it and the others. The others may have gotten away, but this one had no chance as I swung around where the artery in his neck was throbbing and sunk my teeth into it. I drank greedily and quickly as the blood lessened the burning in my throat.

Drinking blood was an odd sensation. My mind searched through the fuzzy memories and stopped on one, clearing it a bit; I had never liked the smell of blood. It smelled like rust and always made me sick, but now things were different. This is what I needed and it made the burn in my throat lessen.

A twig snapped to my left and I let out a feral growl, grabbing the elk protectively as I finished draining it. Once I was finished, I dropped the carcass and spun around searching for more but found nothing. I had scared the rest of the herd.

Just then, a sudden wind came from the north bringing with it a scent that smelled distinctly better. Yes definitely animal, but better. Alice opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything, I took off running. I heard both of them running after me yelling my name.

They could not catch me; I was faster than they were. The smell started to get stronger the closer I got to the source, and soon enough, I found that I was face to face with a mountain lion. I could not tell whether it was a male or female. I only knew that it smelled so much better than the elk.

The mountain lion turned quickly upon my arrival thinking it had the advantage. Sure, the elk had been no problem, but if could bring down a tree, what would stop me from taking down this flesh and blood animal?

The mountain lion settled back on its hind legs preparing to pounce, and I mirrored its actions by doing the same. When it let out a growl, I growled back, letting it know that it would not have me for lunch. It was the exact opposite, it would be my lunch.

I watched as it pounced and I mirrored its actions, throwing myself across the distance, grabbing the animal's neck as we met in the middle. I made quick work of flipping us so that I was above my prey. I listened to the sound of its wet heartbeat pumping my sustenance through its veins, and as soon as we hit the ground, my teeth sunk into its throat.

When I was finished, I stood up and threw the body to the side noticing that both Alice and Emmett were staring at me. Emmett had a huge grin plastered on his face and Alice was making her way to me with a shirt in hand. I looked at Emmett and noticed he was wearing only a white t-shirt.

I looked at him oddly. "Weren't you wearing a different shirt? When did you have time to change?"

If I had not seen it I would have not thought it possible; his grin got even bigger. "I had to give my shirt up, Bella, because a certain new vampire completely trashed her dress."

I looked down as Alice proceeded to dress me in his shirt. The front of my dress was completely torn and you could now see everything- _everything_. My undergarments had been slashed and my top half exposed. Alice was now going excruciatingly slow for a vampire; so I took over grabbing the buttons and quickly fastening them. I had not even felt the mountain lions claws on me, and as a result, Emmett had now seen more of me than I would have ever shown to anyone. I sat down on the ground and Alice sat next to me. I was so embarrassed.

"So how did you know the dress was going to be ruined?" I asked picking up a piece of the shredded fabric.

"Because I have the ability to see things before they happen, but I didn't see it this bad."

"Like a psychic?"

She laughed; it was a lovely sound. "Not completely. Yes, I see things before they happen, but only once a decision is made does it become clear."

"What do you see in my future?" I had to know what she saw; I don't know why I had to know- honestly it didn't matter now that I was what I was.

"There are several possibilities, Bella. Right now nothing is concrete. And as per usual, if something unexpected happens like that gust of wind that sent you running off, I won't know until it happens."

"Oh. What about you, Emmett, do you have an ability?"

I watched as he leaned up against a tree and shook his head.

"Not really, but then again not many of our kind do. Alice, Edward and Jasper are the exceptions in our family. I am physically stronger than the others though." He smiled proudly. I winced at Edward;s name; it was still a sore subject for me.

"You will forgive him." It wasn't a demand, but she seemed so certain. I wanted to ask how she knew, but it was obvious.

"What will prompt me to do that?" I asked instead.

"Because you now have more of an understanding about why he did what he did. You smelled the mountain lion; what did he smell like?" She titled her head still looking at me. My eyes looked between both her and Emmett, who was once again smiling.

"It smelled so much better than the elk, that's for sure," I answered, relieved that the elk's blood was not the only thing I had drank; it was horrible.

"Well, it was the same for him. Imagine that you were in a room full of elk- your thirst not yet sated, and the next thing you know you smell a mountain lion. What are you going to go for?"

I now understood why I would forgive him. It was just the when I would do it that was the issue. I needed time to process everything.

"I would go for the mountain lion," I admitted.

Alice stood up and dusted herself off. "I guess we better go back to the house. We will pass another herd of… NO!"

I was gone once again, but this time following a scent that was absolutely exquisite.

As I ran, a voice sounded in the distance. "Carlisle!"

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**EEEEEEP!**

**20 reviews for the next chapter! ... O_o**

**Just kidding! I won't hold it ransom and I promise it will be posted a lot quicker than the time it took to post this one.**


	4. Chapter Four

**Well here it is. **

**Be nice to me *runs and hides***

**Super Thanks to hammondgirl for all her suggestion to make this chapter the best chapter it could be for you all! :) She goes above and beyond!**

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine SM owns all. I just took MS/Twilight and veered off into the unknown with it.**

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The smell was absolutely exquisite. I could not have imagined any scent more mouthwatering, more inviting. I raced through the trees. But as I got closer to the source, I heard voices; the overwhelming smell was coming from humans. I sniffed the air again.

How on earth did these vampires deny themselves this? Why did they not indulge every now and then- like Edward had? He gave into his instincts, though it was my blood. I was still alive in a sense.

I came to a stop near a bush and quietly walked around it, noticing a small clearing. I saw someone turn to grab something and I quickly ducked behind a tree. I peered around it and noticed that a male hiker had turned back around and a petite female walked up to him and grabbed whatever he was handing to her. She turned to pick something off the ground. I sniffed the air again just as the wind blew their individual scents towards me, and instantly, I was across the clearing.

I stood precariously behind the male. He smelled appetizing, but not as good as the female- she smelled the best. I looked to the ground and noticed there were more things they needed to pick up. I needed to do this before my presence was known. Before the male had a chance to turn, I sank my teeth in to his neck.

There was only one word to describe his blood- euphoria.

He started to scream, but it would do him no good. He tried to push me off, but his attempts were fruitless- he was my prey now. The girl turned quickly to see why her companion had screamed. She stared at us open-mouthed for a few seconds before her shock wore off and she started screaming. She tried to run off, but I quickly grabbed her arm and held her in place. She smelled the best, and she was not going to get away.

"No! No! No! Please don't!" she pleaded with me as she started to cry. I rolled my eyes as I continued to drain her companion, all the while listening as his attempt at a scream turned into a gurgling nothingness. His heartbeat slowed and his breaths became shallow until finally, they both stopped.

"Oh thank God! Please help me," she yelled, and I whipped around suddenly- my teeth still deep in his soft flesh, pulling the last remnants of blood. Her arm made a sickening crunch as I pulled her a bit too quickly and she screamed again, this time in agony. It sent shivers down my spine and I grew more excited.

Emmett stepped toward me cautiously. "Bella?"

I growled loudly at him and the girl gasped and cried as I pulled her closer towards me. He put his hands up in surrender and backed up a few steps, knowing I would not allow him to come any closer; if he did, I would run off.

Alice soon appeared from behind him. Her face was saddened. "Don't get any closer, Emmett. She _will_ make a run for it." I watched as they both stared at me incredulously. It did nothing to deter me from finishing what I started. Human blood was far too delicious to resist.

Still staring at them, I threw the male body away from me. I was repulsed and angered that he held so little blood, but I knew he wouldn't taste as good as the young girl would. There was no doubt in my mind that her blood would be ten times more fulfilling than his; she smelled absolutely delicious. I slowly lowered myself to face the young woman who was now crying helplessly on the ground and inhaled deeply.

I threw menacing stares to Emmett and Alice. Slowly, without looking away from them, I lifted the young girl's arm to my nose. She smelled simply delightful. As I licked my lips, I tasted the blood that still lingered there.

"Bella, don't," Alice said taking a cautious step closer. I growled and flew a few feet back yanking the young woman with me. She screamed again, grabbing her arm. I wanted so badly to drain her, but part of me wanted to draw this out a little longer. Too soon, her blood would be gone and I would have only the memory, but what a memory I would make it.

I noticed a small drop of blood falling from her lip and ever so slowly, I moved forward to be closer to the essence. She tried to move away from me, but I yanked her back and slowly licked the blood from her lip. The taste of her blood made me purr in pleasure. I looked over her once more and noticed blood trailing down her arm. I repeated the process of slowly licking my way up her arm.

I looked again to her face and saw that there was more blood that had dripped down her chin and down her neck. Again, I started slowly licking the blood off her, starting at the base of her neck then working my way up towards her mouth. She tasted exactly like the way she smelled.

"What's your name?" I asked, entirely too innocent for my outward appearance.

"M… Michelle," she whispered, her breathing labored.

"Michelle, you taste exquisite." I licked my lips. She started to cry once more as my lips skimmed their way down to where the artery in her neck was pulsating rapidly. I inhaled and moved back to her arm, where the blood from the wound there still flowed towards her wrist. I licked all I could, trying my hardest not to waste a drop.

"No. Please d-"

She didn't have a chance to finish her sentence. My teeth slashed through the delicate skin on her wrist and she screamed. The blood flow was slower here than it would have been if I'd torn open her throat. I could savor the taste.

I heard fast footfalls approach and looked up to see that Jasper and Carlisle had arrived. The girl had stopped her useless screaming and was now only crying. They both attempted to walk towards me and I growled once again.

"What happened here, Alice?" I could hear the tension in Carlisle's voice.

I watched as she shrugged her shoulders. "One minute we were talking about heading to the house and then the wind blew unexpectedly, bringing with it the scent of those two humans. I didn't see what would happen until then."

"Did you try to stop her?" he asked, looking towards me and I growled at him once more.

"She wouldn't let us near her, Carlisle. I saw that she would make a run for it if we got any closer."

Darn Skippy I would make a run for it. I purred once more as the blood flowed into my mouth, completely dousing the flames in my throat.

"Jasper."

Suddenly, I felt lethargic. It was an unnatural feeling and I tried to shake it. What the heck was going on? But the feeling just kept coming on stronger. So much so, that I felt sedated. My eyelids drooped as I lazily continued to drain my prey, not willing to stop no matter how I felt.

Carlisle cautiously stepped closer to me and it took more energy than I had to growl- but I did. He motioned with his hands and almost instantly the calm receded a little, but I still felt its effect. Carlisle did not come any further though, and I was glad.

Time seem to fly by as they all stood watching me. Slowly, the young woman fell to the side. I listened as her breathing stopped and her heart beat its last beat, but I held onto her, ensuring I had every last drop of her blood. I dropped the girls arm and slowly stood. I licked my lips and used Emmett's shirt to wipe the mess off my face.

The feeling of sedation came on stronger and stronger as the seconds passed. I tried to move, but only succeeded in falling to the ground, crushing the dead woman. The sounds of multiple bones cracking sounded throughout the clearing. A slow smile spread across my lips.

I felt two thick arms scoop me off the ground and soon felt the wind flying past my face. My eyes lazily looked up to see Emmett holding me. I could see everything pass us by, but I was helpless to do anything.

"Emmett," I whispered to get his attention.

He didn't look at me; he just kept running, a stern look on his face. I could easily smell that we were not alone and it took much effort to turn my head and see Jasper running beside us. I wondered where Alice and Carlisle were. As if sensing my curiosity, Jasper spoke. "Alice and Carlisle are disposing of the bodies."

After only a short while, I saw that we were approaching the house approach, and heard several gasps as Emmett flew pass them and into the living area.

"What happened?" a soft feminine voice asked from behind him as he sat me down on what I took to be a couch.

"No!" I heard a male voice gasp. "She didn't!"

I turned to look into his face and he winced when he looked at me. He turned away from me but I could see the guilt in his features. Why did he feel guilty?

"Oh yes she did. She sadistically murdered that young woman." As the words came out of Emmett's mouth, I cringed both internally and externally. I had not thought of it that way. In fact, I hadn't really thought about it at all.

The red haze that surrounded my vision started to lift on the way back to the house. I didn't like the way Emmett looked when he said those words, and I didn't like how it made me feel.

"I know I am no saint, but that was not right."

Immediately I started to cry and tried to fight the sedation. I desperately wanted to get away from this place. Slowly, I rolled over and tried to crawl away. I felt two thin arms embrace me, pulling me to them and holding onto me tightly.

"No" I whispered. "Let me go. I am a monster to have taken her life, any life, that way. Please just let me go. I want to die." I tried to once again fight both the sedation and the person holding me.

"Shh, Bella, it was only natural. None of us here can condemn you for what is natural ." Esme's smooth voice came from beside me. I did not know if she was saying that for my peace of mind or everyone else's- perhaps both.

"No! I killed her brutally and without cause. Both of them. I killed her and her friend!"

I stilled.

"I killed them," I whispered. "Just let me go. Please!"

I felt a hand smooth my hair and looked up to see Rosalie looking at me sadly, which only made me cry harder. I didn't need anyone looking at me that way. I just wanted to be alone.

I tried to wipe the tears from my eyes, but I couldn't raise my hand high enough to do anything. My head lolled forward slightly and I tried again to wipe my tears, but felt none.

"Jasper, you can stop now. We can't keep her like that forever," Edward spoke from somewhere to my left. After a brief moment of silence, he spoke again. "I will go after her."

The lethargy was gone instantly and the full effects of my feelings over the dead girl hit me- hard. I cried harder in to Esme's shoulder, and all too soon, it became too much for me to handle. I ripped myself from her grasp and ran out of the door.

I pushed myself and ran faster than I would have ever thought possible. I did not once falter, I just kept running. I was about to jump the river when I felt I hand grasp my arm firmly and spin me around. I looked up to see who had followed me, and was met with Edward's scarlet gaze.

My world flipped upside down. How could staring into his odd-colored eyes suddenly change me? I averted my gaze.

"Let me go!" I yelled, though I was sure I could yank my arm from his grasp. I was sure he knew it as well.

"No!" he replied adamantly.

I raised my hand to push him and he quickly caught it. I tried to struggle, but a part of me just wanted to stay here with him- to be held by him. No, I would not feel this way! Yes I forgave him; he doesn't know that, but I will not let myself feel this way.

Before I knew it, he wrapped both his arms around me and held me to him. After a few halfhearted attempts to free myself from his grasp, I collapsed in to his chest and cried. I felt him stroke my hair and lean his cheek against my head.

"I will not allow you to run from this, Bella," he said softly. "Just like I did not run from what I had done to you," he added quietly as he started rhythmically rubbing my back. Immediately, my body responded to him, but I pushed the feelings to the back of my mind- I would not feel this way. I controlled my actions, not the monster I had become.

"But you didn't kill me, Edward," I sobbed, my hands covering my face. "I _killed_ them."

Slowly, I felt his hand under my chin lifting my head so that I would look at him. "But I did kill you, Bella. I took away your human life and damned you to this never-ending existence." His finger trailed up the length of my jaw and the heat trail it left did not go unnoticed.

I shouldn't be doing this. I pulled myself from his embrace and sat down on the grass. "You did what was natural," I argued, picking at the shards of fabric that used to be a dress.

"So did you," he said pointedly, sitting down next to me. I watched as his fingers twitched slightly as if he wanted to hold my hand. Was he feeling the same way I did? I had to remind myself again that I was not going to do that. I was not going to like him- in any way.

"But you didn't do it _sadistically,"_ I said mocking Emmett's tone, the wound still fresh. Emmett went from wanting to befriend and arm wrestle me to hating me. I knew now that I could not stay here if one of them hated me. They were a family; I was an outsider. The little matchstick girl who lost her family looking in to the warmth and love that radiated from this group. I sobbed due to the magnitude of my tiny revelation.

"I did, Bella. Maybe not you, but I have done it to others. When the monster in us takes over, we simply cannot restrain ourselves." He plucked a blade of grass from the ground and began shredding it into thin strips. I watched as he did this, in awe of the control it took him to do it. I would have certainly torn the blade in my attempt.

"I am not going to win this argument, am I?" I asked. Of course I wouldn't win; it was a moot point. I didn't have a valid reason; I was arguing to argue.

"No, not amongst vampires." He laughed softly and smiled. I almost melted right then and there. His smile was crooked but it fit him so well. Coupled with his chiseled features, he was breathtaking. I wasn't sure if my face showed any of the emotions he was eliciting within me, but I hoped not.

"What Emmett said really hurt." I plucked a blade of grass and attempted to do as he did.

"Emmett is not used to seeing someone be that _sadistic._" He said the word cautiously and continued, "Neither has Esme. The rest of us, on the other hand, have seen it and have been on occasion."

"Have you?" He nodded. "Recently?" He nodded once again.

"Can you not tell?" he said, looking me directly in the eyes. It was only a fraction of a second later that I realized what he meant. Everyone among his family had golden eyes. His eyes were red. I remembered what Emmett had said earlier: "_The blood of animals can sustain us. It is what keeps our eyes this color and allows us to blend in with humans." _

"It was my blood that made your eyes that color, wasn't it?" He nodded and I thought back to what happened. It was fuzzy, but I could see it.

_I walked in to the biology lab, standing a few minutes in the doorway as I acclimated myself to this new environment. I hated being the center of attention. Yet here I was, the "shiny new toy" as Jessica described me. I watched as the bronze-haired boy I had seen in the cafeteria looked at me like he was trying to penetrate my thoughts; it was unsettling. Even more so with that look of hatred on his perfect face. As I stepped in front of the heating duct he immediately went rigid. Did I smell? I spoke to the teacher then cautiously walked toward the open seat he had pointed out- it was next to him. I sat down, glancing at him. His onyx eyes mirrored his expression. I didn't want to look at him any longer, so I tossed my hair over my shoulder. After that, the room quieted and everyone had their heads on their desks as if they had fallen asleep._

What on earth had happened?

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**I know some of you didn't want this but you have to remember, Bella never knew this world. **

**... Let me know what you think.**


	5. Chapter Five

**Hello Everyone! I am still alive. I have been super busy... and super lazy. **

**This is the last of my pre-written chapters so the others will definitely come slower... yeah I know that means nothing considering the timing at which I gave you these first five.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the books and this plot... I wish I owned Jasper.**

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I watched as recognition crept onto her beautiful face. She remembered what had happened, even though the memories were likely fuzzy.

"They weren't sleeping were they?" she asked looking down at the blade of grass she had attempted to tear in to thin strips as I had done. I shook my head.

"You killed them?" I nodded, my guilt once again harassing me. She took my hand in hers and rubbed tiny circles with her thumb on the back of my hand. I felt the shock of her touch radiate to my dead heart. Did she feel it too?

"I am so sorry I made you do that, Edward. I can see that you feel guilty about it."

I laughed quietly; she was apologizing as if what I had done was all her fault.

"None of this is your fault, Bella," I said as I threaded my fingers through hers; when she didn't pull away, I took it as a good sign.

"It is not like you had any choice in how your blood would smell to a vampire. There are many of us out there; you could have been just as alluring to any one of them as you were to me."

"Do I smell alluring to you now?" I shook my head; if she only knew what her scent was doing to me. Though blood no longer ran through her veins, her scent still lingered. I felt an insane need to mate with her - morals be damned.

She smiled. "I guess I am sort of a danger magnet. I was very much uncoordinated as a human."

I chuckled. "I had noticed."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, anything," I replied wondering what she wanted to know.

"You weren't there when I killed those people; how did you know what I had done?"

I knew I would have to tell her about my ability eventually, though I was a bit shocked that Alice had not divulged what it was. It was not her secret to tell, I understood that, but I thought she would have at least told Bella about those of us that had them.

"I am sure that by now you have noticed several of us have certain _gifts_."

She nodded. "Alice and Emmett told me. Alice can see the future, and my guess is that sedation is Jasper's gift, but I do not know yours."

So Alice had told her about us, just not specifics.

"Well as far as Jasper goes, he can manipulate the emotions around him. Since we vampires do not sleep, he simply made you feel immensely lethargic, which in turn sedated you, practically incapacitating you. His gift may be a small and burdensome one at times, but he is a force to be reckoned with."

I watched her carefully as she took in what I just told her. Several reactions crossed her face; Jasper was right - her emotions were all over the place, just like a typical newborn.

"So that was the courage I felt before I jumped out of the window!" she said in revelation, and I nodded.

"Okay, so Alice can see the future and Jasper can manipulate emotions. But you still didn't answer my question: what is it that you can do?"

I took a deep breath I didn't need; I was nervous beyond all reason and I didn't know why. She'd been so accepting of Alice and Jasper's gifts, but the question remained: would she be accepting of mine? My "cocky know-it-all" façade, as Rosalie liked to refer to it, was quickly dissipating. This girl had such a hold over me and she didn't even know it.

"I can read minds."

Slowly, her eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped a bit. After blinking rapidly a few times and attempting to speak, she looked down to the torn blade of grass and took a deep breath.

"You can read minds, as in people's thoughts?"

I nodded.

"Your entire family? No exceptions?"

"I can read each and every thought they have. Believe me, it's quite a burden to bear. Though, I do try to give them as much privacy as I can, as often as I can."

She nodded not looking me in the eye, then took a deep breath.

"What about my thoughts?" she asked hesitantly, and began messing with the shards of her dress. "Can you read my thoughts?"

I brought my free hand up to cup her chin. I slowly turned her face up, but her eyes still evaded my gaze.

"Bella, will you look at me?"

She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head.

"Please, Bella," I whispered. The fact that she refused to look at me was tearing me apart. I wondered if she could hear the desperation in my voice.

"Please look at me," I continued, my voice still a whisper.

Slowly, she opened her venom-filled eyes and stared into mine with a despairing look.

"Do you trust me?"

"I want to, but this changes things," she answered.

"Bella, I want you to know right now that I would never lie to you." My thumb traced the line of her chin. "Of everyone I have ever encountered in my endless existence, you are the only person I cannot hear."

I watched as her eyes widened and relief washed over her features, but was it short-lived.

"So, you can't hear my thoughts at all?" I shook my head. "Is something wrong with me then?"

I laughed. "Bella, I can hear peoples' thoughts and you are wondering if there is something wrong with you?"

She thought about what I said for a little while before she started laughing. It was a beautiful sound.

"I guess that did sound funny," she said as she pulled her hand from mine and tried to shred another blade of grass. My hand immediately missed the warmth her hand offered. Our skin may be as hard as marble, but to one another it is just as soft as human flesh can be.

"Bella?"

She turned to look at me her face still alight from laughing, and for the first time in my life I was rendered speechless. She was absolutely stunning. The wind blew through the trees allowing, the sunlight to filter down making her skin sparkle. I wanted to touch her again, but I didn't want to do something that might push her away.

"You were going to say something, Edward?" She tucked her hair behind her ear.

I opened my mouth to talk, yet nothing came out. I needed to think quickly.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" I asked. She smiled once more and nodded. I got up and dusted off my jeans then helped her up. When we started forward I stayed at a slow human pace and Bella was able to match my strides.

"Why are we walking so slowly?" She pulled a small branch from a nearby tree and proceeded to take the leaves off one by one.

We walked a bit longer and talked as she slowly remembered her fuzzy human memories. I could listen to her forever.

"And then I fell off." She laughed.

I laughed along with her.

"I decided that cheerleading was not for me, a major decision for a 7-year-old to make. My mom backed my decision though, and nearly got into it with the cheerleading coach."

Her smile suddenly turned into a frown.

"Bella, what is it?" I wanted to know what had caused her sudden change in mood; she had been so happy recalling memories from her childhood.

"Renee, my mom - I guess I didn't think about it until now. I can't ever see her again, can I?"

I didn't want to tell her that she couldn't; I wanted things to be possible for her.

"Maybe someday," I answered, "but only from a distance." I inched closer to her.

"It's going to be hard knowing that they are alive, yet not be able to be near them."

Slowly, I lifted her chin so that her eyes were no longer downcast.

"I will help you, Bella," I began. Correcting myself, I said, "We will all help you through this." I wanted to be the one to help her, but she didn't need to know that, not if she didn't feel the same way.

We emerged in a clearing and I sniffed the air around us, but no humans were in the immediate area. I watched as Bella walked to the center of the clearing examining her skin as it sparkled.

She sighed. "I am really going to miss her."

The need to comfort her overwhelmed me and I was by her side in a second. "I promise, Isabella, as soon as we are able to, I will take you to see your family." She gave me a quick hug and thanked me.

My hand came up to graze her cheek and lingered slightly before tucking strands of hair behind her ear. She closed her eyes and took a deep, shaky breath, and suddenly, the need to be one with her overcame me completely. I would make her mine.

I heard Alice and Carlisle's inner dialogue before I heard their approach. My eyes were still on Bella. Carlisle was wondering if Bella was okay, and Alice was picking out a new outfit for her. I ignored them. Slowly, I reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind the other ear. Her eyes never left mine. They had held a depth that one did not normally associate with brown eyes. A depth that seemed carry over to her new life.

_Edward? _Alice questioned cautiously, signaling their approach. My eyes trailed to Bella's lips; without thinking, I licked my own and my thumb brushed along her bottom lip. She gasped quietly.

With that one little gasp, the monster in me became too much to handle and my lips crashed to hers without a second thought.

I was not even paying attention as the vision and Alice's voice flitted through my head, signaling their hasty retreat. I hoped she didn't say anything to anyone about what was going to happen. If she didn't, I would give her whatever she wanted.

Bella's hands tangled themselves in my hair, pulling me from my thoughts. Her lips parted, requesting my presence, and I happily obliged. I could feel the passion and tension mounting, and soon, I was acting only by instinct. I couldn't stop even though part of me didn't want this to happen, at least not this way. I didn't stop though because the part of me that did want this was closer to the monster than the man.

Bella's fingers tried to make quick work of the buttons on my shirt, but her attempt only tore them off. I mimicked her actions as I removed Emmett's shirt off her body. I purred as I noticed the dress Alice had put her in was completely shredded, allowing me access to her exposed chest. _He_ must have seen her this way. I growled possessively.

As if sensing my combination of anger and lust, she immediately ripped the belt from my pants and pulled them off. Since I knew the dress was ruined and Alice would not mind if I finished it off, with one quick move, I tore it off and threw it to the side. For only a fraction of a second I stared at the vision before me before another possessive growl ripped through me.

Rapidly my hands moved up her thighs, over her waist, and over her glorious chest, until they finally settled themselves at the back of her head, tangling within her hair. I kissed her with even more fervor than before. She would be mine.

I growled as her hands wound themselves around my length. She wasn't sure of her actions, but whatever she was doing, it worked. I needed her and she felt it. Her hand slid up and down my length erratically. I grabbed and roughly squeezed one of her creamy breasts and she moaned against my mouth as her grip tightened. Surprised, I threw her into the closest tree, knocking it over. She hissed on impact, but it was cut short as I and began attacking her mouth with my own.

She growled and brought her hands up to my chest and shoved me backwards, sending me soaring into a nearby boulder. I looked up to see she righted herself in to a crouch on the trunk of the fallen tree. She looked absolutely stunning as the sun glittered on her naked body. Her black eyes bore into mine as she pounced from the tree landing next to me.

She assaulted my mouth and began licking and nipping her way down my neck. When she reached my shoulder she bit down, hard, marking me as her own.

I hissed and threw her to the ground, landing roughly on top of her. Mimicking her actions, I bit down on her shoulder. She did not hiss; instead she gave a combination of a growl and moan. Not a sixteenth of a second passed before I thrust into her. Once again, she bit my shoulder. Her hands scaled down my back, cutting into my marble skin as she went.

I growled and continued thrusting into her faster. She released my shoulder with a moan and began blindly grabbing the ground beneath her, her unneeded breath coming in short gasps. I could feel my release building with every moan coming from her delicious mouth. I buried my face into her neck, the need to be one with her still consuming my thoughts, even though I was completely sheathed inside her.

Bringing her legs up, Bella wrapped them around my body, pulling me deeper into her. It was an amazing feeling and I bit down on her shoulder as I released into her. I felt her body began to shudder beneath me as her orgasm rippled throughout her body.

The feeling of utter completeness coupled with bliss filled me. Slowly, I rolled us so that we were now lying on our sides, facing each other. Her eyes were shut and her breathing even, and even with twigs, leaves and grass tangled in her hair she was beautiful. A small smile played across her lips, as a content sigh escaped.

My hand trailed along her hair, across her shoulder then down her arm. Suddenly, she stilled then stopped breathing – her eyes wide open.

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**Oh GEEZ what did you do there Cloudieday!**

**The fate of the world rests in your hands, my friends. Review and we are saved. If you don't, we will all perish in fire and brimstone. **


	6. Chapter Six

**HI! ****I bet you all thought I died or something. Well, I'm still here! I chose a really bad time to start writing this story. My kid is mobile which means she is getting into EVERYTHING! I barely have time to breathe, let alone write. But it's the moments like these when she is asleep that give me just the time _I_ need to ... sleep. :) I promise to try harder! I basically cajoled the hubby into trying to help out more with the monster, so hopefully I can get these chappies to you all quicker... Well, we all know my promises are shit anyway. If not this chapter would have been up in December when I promised it. **

**MUCHOS thanks to Hammondgirl for making this chapter look so good! (No, I will not tell you to "shove it". I see where I do things wrong and you help me to be a better writer! LOVE YOU!)**

**You know how it goes: I own nothing except the books, and the movies ... I wish I owned Jasper ... and Jace, Will, Simon, and Jem ... oh wait wrong story. *sigh* Who cares! I still want them. TMI series and ID own me!**

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"Whatever that was, it should not have happened," I half whispered from across the clearing. "I don't know what came over me."

It had taken me only a few seconds to gather my clothes and get as far away as I could from him. I took the torn dress Alice had given me and tossed it aside, dressing quickly in only Emmett's shirt. I wondered what she would say now that the dress was completely ruined.

"I'm not sorry it happened," he replied.

I was relying on my instinct alone, and so far, it was getting me into more trouble than I needed or wanted.

I turned slightly as he slid his shirt over his shoulders. I noticed a shimmering crescent shaped scar on his left shoulder, similar to the ones that covered Jasper

"How did you get the scar on your shoulder?" I questioned, unable to hide my curiosity.

He chuckled slightly then seconds later was by my side. As he made quick work of detangling the leaves and twigs from my hair, his proximity was taking its toll on me. I soon found myself leaning towards him.

He lifted my chin slowly and placed a chaste kiss on my lips. "You gave it to me, Isabella."

My eyes widened and I detached myself from the hold he had on me. Edward was handsome, and he had a great body, but I was not going to do this - I couldn't.

"When? How?" I asked, feeling as though I was losing my mind.

"Only a few minutes ago. Do you not remember?" His mouth turned down at the corners.

I remembered very little actually; it was almost as if I blacked out. I knew I had done something I shouldn't have, but every detail was hidden deep in my memory, like I had chosen to block it out.

I looked around the clearing. There was a tree that had been knocked over, a very Edward-like shape ground into a boulder, and a lot of upturned grass and dirt. All at once my mind was flooded with images of what had happened. It had only taken a matter of minutes, but my actions would have a lasting effect. Without thinking, my hand moved to touch my shoulder that held a scar that matched Edward's.

I felt like my head was spinning, like I should be dizzy, but couldn't quite get to that point. "I can't do this," I whispered, and then took off at a full sprint, leaving Edward in my wake. I heard his startled gasp and his the footfalls that followed as he tried to catch up.

I was hyper-aware of his presence as he followed me, like a string pulling my dead heart to his. It was too much to take in such a short time. I shot forward, picking up speed. The house came into view and I was about to run through the doors when I heard someone whisper my name.

I looked up to see Alice poking her head out of the window I had leapt from. She waved me over and motioned for me to come up. She apparently didn't want anyone to hear our conversation.

"You want me to climb through the window?" I mouthed and she nodded, bringing her finger to her mouth.

I jumped into the room, landing softly on the carpet. It was then that I truly noticed the room. One wall was lined with music of all kinds. On the opposite wall, a flat screen television hung next to a door that led to either a bathroom or closet. In the center of the room, there was a wide bed that looked entirely too big for the space, and a lone chair sat next to it.

Alice quickly ushered me across the hall and into another bedroom, furnished only with a single white couch. She opened the closet, pulled out some clean clothes, and handed them to me. I slipped into them as gently and quietly as I could as Alice ran a brush through my hair and placed it in a low pony tail.

Once I was dressed, Alice led me downstairs. A horrible scent hit me like a wrecking ball once I entered the living room and I covered my mouth, trying to not gag. Everyone seemed to have the same look on their faces, one of disgust. I opened my mouth to ask what the smell was, but Rosalie's pristine finger moved to her mouth, cutting me off.

I really wanted to know what was going on. My internal question was answered when I heard Carlisle sigh and then speak. "For the sake of civility, let us please speak to each other in a polite manner."

I heard a growl and then and then an aged voice said, "I see no reason to be polite to you, leech."

In seconds I stood beside window, moving the curtain aside so that I could see outside. A soft wind blew through the open doorway, bringing with it a stronger dose of the wretched aroma and the smell of two humans. Jasper was by my side in an instant, placing his arm around my waist in a comforting manner. I reached for his forearm, gripping it tightly. I didn't need to murder anyone else today.

"Don't breathe," he whispered in my ear.

Immediately, my intake of breath ceased and I stood still for a moment. It was uncomfortable not breathing, but I could no longer smell anything. I let go of Jasper's arm giving him a slight nod. He released his hold on my waist, but did not move from his spot beside me.

I watched Carlisle converse with two men and the huge wolf that stood next to them. I immediately recognized the man who sat in the wheelchair, but could not put a name to his face.

"I have done nothing wrong, Black, and you would do well to remember that it was _your_ grandfather with whom the treaty was made." Carlisle motioned towards the wolf next to the men. "Unless the wolf that stands before me is a descendent of yours, I see no reason to finish this conversation."

_Black_? The name made another memory resurface. The man in the wheelchair was Billy Black, my father's dearest friend. We had been reintroduced only a few days before I started school.

"He is not a descendent of his nor of mine, leech, but as he is the only one, he is the acting Alpha and tribe Chief," the other man said, his words harsh and dripping with disdain. These men clearly did not want to act civil.

"And you are?" Carlisle asked, his face the epitome of calm despite his obvious annoyance.

"Not that it _is_ any business of yours, but I am Harry Clearwater, a direct descendent of Raven Clearwater, and this is Sam Uley," he answered, motioning towards the wolf.

"If young Sam is the acting Alpha then I wish to converse with him and only him."

The wolf turned toward his elders, made a sound like a whimper, and turned back towards us. Carlisle pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger and moved to lean against the railing.

"I understand if Sam Uley does not trust us enough to return to his human form, but as I stated before, you will have to wait until my son returns to continue this conversation." He moved towards the door and paused. "I would invite you in, however I do not think you will accept the offer."

He walked through the door and shut it behind him. Esme gave him a quick hug, and he placed a hand on my shoulder. We all moved towards the living room, with the exception of Jasper, who stayed by the window.

"Is this my fault?" I asked quietly.

Rosalie was the first to answer. "No, this is not your fault, this is Edward's, and it is going to be Edward who will have to deal with it."

_Speak of the devil and he shall come,_ I thought as he appeared at the bottom of the stairs, unchanged, dirty, and disheveled. Emmett raised an eyebrow at him, seemingly intrigued by his appearance.

"Are they still here, Jasper?" Carlisle asked.

Edward looked at me and I looked down, avoiding his gaze. The curtains ruffled slightly and then Edward spoke. "Give me a chance to do something about my appearance, and I will speak with them shortly."

He exited the room and I sat down on the couch, taking in everything for the first time I was here. Emmett sat next to me and took my hand in his. "I want to apologize for the way I spoke earlier. I, of all people, should have known better. We have no control when we are newly born to this life, and I should have been more understanding of what you were going through."

I patted his hand as lightly as I could. "It's okay, Emmett. It's nice to know I am not alone."

We all sat in unmoving silence. The only noises that could be heard were that of Edward moving around upstairs. A moment later he had rejoined us, and with Carlisle, walked through the front door.

"May I help you, gentlemen?" Edward spoke, his smooth voice sounding on edge.

I made my way to stand next to Jasper and peered through the curtains as I had done before. Edward's head tilted a bit as if he sensed my presence, and this time, Jasper raised his eyebrow at me. I shrugged my shoulders and continued looking outside.

"So you are the young leech who is thought to be dead," Billy spoke.

"It would seem so. To what do we owe this visit, gentlemen?"

I knew Edward was speaking out loud more for our benefit than theirs.

"We want to make sure that the treaty is still intact. Records show that there were twenty-five students in the classroom that ignited, yet only twenty-three bodies were found."

Jasper swore and mumbled something regarding the availability of information to those who were not part of the school system.

"I assume you believe we have one of the students here, is that it? That is why you're here, is it not?" He chuckled. "You want nothing more than to have us gone."

"We've never wanted you here to begin with."

"Your grandfather didn't mind so much, so long as we did not _kill_ anyone." Edward retorted.

A growl sounded from the enormous wolf.

"That was never part of the agreement." Edward sighed. "So much of your history has been deluded due to the deterioration of the mind. Stories are changed from generation to generation until they are all but a myth."

By now, everyone had joined us and were peeking out of various windows. Only Jasper and I remained hidden.

"I see where you are coming from, the three of you, but no terms of the treaty were violated. We agreed to stay off of your land and to not drain a human dry."

Emmett started to laugh, but reined it in immediately as Rosalie shot him a killer glare.

The two men and the wolf looked amongst each other, conversing silently. Harry looked back in our direction. "So then we can only assume the child is alive, in a sense, and with you."

"Why must you assume we have someone else here?" Edward asked, clearly trying to dissuade them.

I wouldn't let them take the blame for this. I opened the door silently as Alice's eyes glazed over.

"I asked him to do it." I stepped around Carlisle and Edward, quickly grabbing his hand to keep from going after them. I watched as Billy's eyes grew wide, and my name played across his lips.

"Bella, why?" he asked.

The moment my name was said aloud, Harry Clearwater's eyes were on me. I had to think fast.

"Edward was on his way back to class when the room exploded," I explained taking key words that Billy had used so that my story would match. "He ran back in to find everyone dead. Everyone but me."

I looked at Edward, allowing myself the briefest moment to feel everything that had happened, hoping it would help in making them believe the lie.

"I didn't know what else to do. I asked that he save me, if not for my sake, then for my parents." I turned back to the three men. "He saved me the only way he knew how to, and now there is no going back."

I watched the huge wolf bound away and then return a moment later, now a man. "There must be repercussions for his actions. He had no right."

I had had enough of these people treating my new family this way. My anger spiked and a red haze surrounded my vision. All at once I was able to sense every person around me as tiny sparks, each with individual flavors. I felt Edward's grip on my hand tighten and four arms encircle me, restraining me. "He had every right, you ungrateful dog," I spat with as much venom as I could.

He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. "I gave him that right when I asked him to save me. Would you have left a dying girl there, knowing that you had some way to save her?"

"But the treaty…" he began.

"Screw the treaty!" I yelled. "You heard what Edward said. He did not kill a human, he _saved a human_."

The red in my vision subsided slightly as a calm feeling enveloped me, and I was able to rein in my anger, but I could still feel everyone's spark. One pair of arms let go of me, while the other pair held fast.

Billy wheeled himself forward, surpassing the man who I assumed was Sam Uley in human form. "Because it is you, Bella, and _only_ because it is you, we will let this matter go. But if anything else happens, well, we will be back." His eyes lingered on Carlisle a moment before he turned away.

I watched as Sam began to shake uncontrollably. He turned and ran, exploding into a wolf before he hit the tree line.

"There will be no others, we swear," Edward replied to the unspoken question.

As Harry helped Billy back to the car, the last vestiges of red that surrounded my vision disappeared and everything snapped back, knocking the breath out of me. I leaned over slightly, grateful for the arms as that still held me. Even though I knew that vampires couldn't sleep, I wished that I could at that moment. I felt mentally exhausted.

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**So, what did you think?**

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	7. Chapter Seven

**Hey everyone! I AM ALIVE! :) I am still using my husbands laptop to write but I am happy to say that the block has been defeated. I do have chapter 8 finished and chapter 9 is slow in coming but it is coming.**

**Major thanks to hammongirl (who also had a broken laptop... only she just got her laptop fixed) she is the best beta! (yeah you are)**

**Disclaimer: Steph owns it all. I own the entire 10 seasons of _Friends_ which may have had a hand in delaying this chapter.**

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I watched as Bella slumped forward, releasing her hold on my hand. I immediately missed the warmth she provided. Jasper slowly backed into the house, relinquishing his hold on her once she was through the door and Rosalie and Esme led her back to the living room.

"You can breathe now, Bella," Alice said, moving to sit in a chair across from her.

With her head down, Bella took in a cautious breath and placed her head in her hands.

"What was that, Bella?"

Bella's eyes shot to Jasper, who was looking directly at her.

"What do you mean?" she asked, sounding as if what happened was the most natural thing in the world.

"One minute I feel your anger peaking, the next it's gone and I feel nothing from you. I could, however, still manipulate your emotions enough to calm you. It took a bit of work though." He was as confused as I was, now that I was paying attention.

Why was it that I was continuously _blocking_ the thoughts of my family? I am sure I would have heard Jasper having problems calming Bella, or even seen the vision that Alice was currently replaying in her mind as she analyzed it. No, of course I didn't pay attention. My sole focus was Bella, as it had been from the moment she walked in to that classroom.

"I don't really know what it was. The sudden need to protect all of you all from the threat overwhelmed me, I guess. My vision turned red and I could _feel_ and pinpoint each of you around me."

She thought about it for a moment. "It was almost as if a _bubble_ surrounded us and you all were part of me, but each of you had an individual color and flavor if you will. It's similar to the way you each smell. Of course, I didn't think that I would see the sparks again, let alone taste them."

"Again? What do you mean by again, Bella?" Carlisle asked, his thoughts momentarily lost as he was brought into the conversation.

"Well, before I _woke up_, I felt nothing. I heard nothing. It was like being alone in a dark room with no way out, but at the same time I could sense everyone around me. I couldn't tell who was with me, until now, but you each had a distinctly colored spark and I knew by the color and brightness who was near and how they felt." She paused, looking in my direction but not at me, her voice softening. "For the longest time, Edward was the dullest green I had ever seen. But just a moment ago he was quite the opposite, so bright."

My eyes moved to watch Alice as her eyes glazed and the vision played before both our eyes.

"I think that would be an excellent idea, Carlisle" Alice interrupted. "I think it would be beneficial for us to see them, but instead we should go there, at least for a while."

Carlisle nodded and excused himself to his study to call our cousins up north, while the rest of us contemplated what this meant for Bella; for all of us. I concentrated only on Alice's mind as she continued searching the meaning behind her vision.

"Go see who?" Bella inquired.

"Family we have up north. They share our same dietary choice so we have grown quite close to them," Esme answered.

Bella nodded in understanding as her mouth formed a small _o._

Alice was jaded that her visions would abandon her when danger was around. She couldn't find any reason for the vision that had taken place moments before with Bella and the Quileute's. In the vision Bella was screaming at no one. There was nothing but an empty space in the direction the five of us had been facing.

Then it hit me. It was the wolves; she couldn't see the shape-shifters. They were a blind spot in her visions. I could feel my eyes widen slightly and Jasper's voice rang out in my mind questioning the matching emotions coming from both Alice and I.

"_What's wrong?"_

"It's the wolves," Alice and I said at once.

Everyone in the room turned to look at us.

"What are you both talking about?" Jasper asked aloud; the same question was ringing in the minds of the others.

"It has to be. Why else would I see nothing but emptiness where they stood?"

I sat down in the nearest chair wondering if this blind spot would become a problem, but quickly set it aside. We were leaving soon and it would not be an issue unless we returned.

Jasper moved closer to Alice as she began shaking her head. "I kept wondering why I never had a vision of them showing up. You'd think that I would have."

Carlisle returned to the room ending the conversation. "We're flying out in four hours."

I looked at Carlisle like he was insane. After what happened how could he allow Bella or myself to be aboard an aircraft with that many people?"

Before I could say anything he continued.

"I have of course procured a private jet that will be flown by a friend of mine who is luckily in town."

We all let out a collective sigh then one by one left to gather the packing materials we kept around for moments like these. We had three hours to pack all we needed and basically move out.

"If anyone needs me," Alice said as she grabbed a small purse and headed for the garage, "I will be at the mall getting dear Bella a new wardrobe. I'm too small for her to borrow my pants, Rose is entirely too curvy, and Esme is taller than she is."

Bella laughed as she fiddled with the hem of Esme's shorts, or Bermuda shorts as Alice called them. "Gee thanks, Alice, way to make me feel inadequately adequate."

Alice blew her a kiss and left the room. She looked around and noticed that everyone else had left. She turned around and looked at me, but quickly averted her gaze.

"I'll be upstairs packing if you need anything," I said, ending the awkward silence that had settled around us. She responded with a simple nod. Would she ever look at me again?

As I packed, I listened to Carlisle arrange for the moving trucks to come within the next few hours. It would take them at least three days, with frequent rests, to get to Palmer where Jasper and Emmett would be waiting to place everything in a storage facility. Then from Palmer, we would move everything to the house near Petersville. We would pack the clothes we needed for those days in smaller carry-on suitcases.

"Carlisle, where are we flying into?" I questioned.

"Talkeetna Airport,_" _he replied before continuing internally,_ "The less people around, the better. I know it means will be back-tracking along the spur before getting to the highway, but I'd rather be safe than have Bella go through what she did again. It's also closer than the others airports. If we have to run, we only need to cross the river to get to the house."_

From the living room I heard Bella sigh.

"Bella, would you like to help me pack up this office?" Carlisle offered.

"I would be happy to help, Carlisle."

She quickly made her way upstairs and headed towards the area Carlisle was. The office was on the same floor as my room and she paused momentarily as she passed by my open door. I glanced at her as I took things from my shelf. She turned away quickly and walked into the office.

Jasper kept his mind blissfully blank, but I could almost feel him arch his eyebrow at whatever emotions she was throwing.

It took me about an hour to place all my clothes,_ every_ piece of music I owned, my electronics, and my "valuables" into 5 large boxes labeled with my name and one small suitcase. By that time, Carlisle and Bella had moved downstairs to pack his and Esme's study and the library.

"You have so many books, Carlisle."

He laughed. "That I do, Bella. Normally Jasper would help with the packing of these tomes, but he is packing for himself as well as Alice since she is out."

There was a moment of silence as they continued packing.

"I didn't mean to cause any inconvenience." Bella sighed.

Carlisle chuckled at her response. "Bella, you did nothing of the sort. If anything, you did quite the opposite. Alice loves to move, but she hates to pack. _Conveniently _enough, you are here and I am most thankful for your help."

I watched Bella smile through Carlisle's thoughts. She was exquisite when she smiled.

"If it were up to Alice, she would throw everything but the clothes into a box and ship it off without proper packing," Esme added from the first floor.

Bella laughed and my dead heart soared. If only it were me giving her a reason to make that sound. To keep myself from brooding at that thought, I moved to the garage and started preparing the cars for transport. Rosalie was very adamant about everything that needed to be done for the cars, and was listing the things for me to check in her mind.

"_Got it?"_ she asked.

"It's not like I haven't done this before, Rosalie," I bit back a bit too harshly.

"_Edward, I understand that something went on between you and Bella. Alice won't say exactly what went on, but you _do not_ need to get an attitude with me," _Rosalie's inner voice snapped.

"I know and I apologize. I'm not cross; I guess I'm just dejected."After several seconds, I noticed the house was eerily quiet; vampires were stealthy by nature and you could hardly ever hear us. "Is everyone listening to me? You know, sometimes I wish I had the power to say any damned thing I wanted to whomever I wanted without you all listening."

Apologies rang out in my mind from everyone in the house, with the exception of Bella of course, who still said nothing.

"_I just worry about you, Edward."_

"I know, Esme. I love you more for it, but you don't have to."

I had finished prepping Rosalie's remodel and my Volvo when Alice pulled into the garage. Rosalie's BMW was completely filled with bags from numerous stores. They ranged in sizes, and there was one that was too small to hold any type of clothing. Normally, I would have attempted to peak into Alice's mind and to out exactly what she'd bought, but she was blocking me. I would have continued listening, waiting for her to slip up but I really didn't care to continue to listen her sing the _Star Spangled Banner_ in every language.

"You know it's only proper to sing that song in English." I laughed, which only prompted her to since a rousing rendition of _God Save the Queen _in Portuguese. "That's blasphemous, Alice. Don't let Carlisle hear you."

"Hear what?"

"Nothing, Carlisle, Edward is just mad he can't peek into my mind right now," she said as she grabbed all the bags and headed inside.

"Well it's apparent you're hiding something, especially when you're blatantly blocking your thoughts. So naturally I am going to be suspicious." I laughed and started prepping my Aston Martin.

"Need any help?" Jasper asked, walking in the garage.

I shook my head, moving on to Carlisle's Mercedes.

_"You sure about that?" _

"I'm fine, Jasper," I said, my voice filled with a false calm while giving him a look that said, _Are you really questioning me about this now, while she's within hearing range?_

He put his hands up in surrender, popped the trunk on the BMW, and removed more bags and boxes. "Just asking is all."

It hadn't taken long to prep the cars and I was sure Rosalie would recheck them during loading. I walked into the living room and noticed just how different the house looked. All of the furniture was covered with white sheets and boxes were stacked by the door. We always left the furniture in the homes we lived in, but it was everything else that we took with us.

Of course it still looked like a house. The rooms still held furniture, though not in use. But everything that made it a home was removed only to be replaced by sheets. I felt exactly like this house looked. I looked like a human. Everything inside me was technically human, even though it was left unused. But everything that made me human was long gone, to be replaced by venom and bloodlust.

They say that a family makes the home. I say that Bella made me whole.

* * *

**I really hope you like it! Please let me know! **


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